Over the past month, our AV test room has been filled with a whole host of home cinema kit ranging from cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar systems to LG's latest OLED TV.
To put these models properly through their paces, however, we need a good number of test discs to challenge them to the fullest. As you might imagine, all of us at What Hi-Fi? are huge movie fans and we watch more films and TV in a month than we would care to admit.
But only some of those discs are suitable for testing the kit in our room. In our monthly Now Showing, we take a look at the most popular content we have been using to test out the newest home cinema models, from superhero blockbusters to tense thrillers. Let's get into it…
Article continues belowA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Words by Daniel Furn
After a rollercoaster in quality with the last few seasons of Game of Thrones and spin-off House of the Dragon, I’m pleased to report that things are good again in Westeros with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Not just good, but utterly charming – the realism of the previous series is still there, but somehow, so is a sense of fun, humour and light-heartedness.
For the uninitiated, the series adapts George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, following humble hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and the adventures he gets up to with his squire Egg, starting with a tourney in the town of Ashford. As you might be able to tell, the show eschews much of the complexity and subversiveness of the other GoT series for a smaller, more traditional story structure – and is all the better for it.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is also the first Game of Thrones series to launch in 4K and Dolby Atmos on the NOW streaming service. It is also available in these formats on the newly launched HBO Max.
It may lack some of the larger-scale spectacle of its predecessors, but the Westorosi spin-off is still absolutely gorgeous to look at. Rolling hills and meadows, a fire-breathing puppet dragon and a particularly brutal climactic tourney clash all look appropriately stunning, and will look even better on the upcoming 4K Blu-Ray.
Pre-order A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on 4K Blu-ray at HMV
Stream A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Since the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer came out earlier this month, I have been tentatively dipping my toes back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That has involved flicking through our collection of older Marvel entries and returning to the films that defined my early adulthood. And the one that keeps finding its way into our trusty Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
It follows Chris Pratt's Peter Quill and his ragtag team as they encounter a celestial being named Ego, who claims to be Quill’s father. From the off, the film is filled with heart and humour all while portraying the various planets with the appropriate level of grandeur.
There is one scene that has been playing on repeat for the past few days as we test a portable projector (keep your eyes peeled for the review coming soon), solidifying itself as an excellent test disc. As Quill and his band arrive on Ego’s sparkling ship, the bright white interiors call for high brightness levels to portray the otherworldly nature of the space. If it’s too bright, however, the varying skin tones of the characters in the space can appear washed out and lose a fair bit of detail.
That calls for a careful balance between brightness and detail levels, making it a great test for picture as well as an all-round enjoyable superhero flick. I've got my fingers crossed that the new Spidey can replicate the magic…
Buy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon
Stream Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on Disney Plus
Abigail
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Creepy houses, a group of people who can’t leave, a monster that literally makes things go bump in the night. These are all staple parts of the horror genre we’ve seen many times before. But, as the age-old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and that’s exactly the philosophy taken by directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettlinelli-Olpin with Abigail.
The plot is simple: a group of professional criminals kidnap a teenage girl and then hide out in a creepy old house while they wait for the ransom. Things quickly escalate as they start turning up dead. Cue a nearly two-hour fright fest full of fun nods to classic horror movie tropes, jump scares and more than a little gore.
While there’s no way I can pretend any of the film, especially its plot, is original, the Hammer Horror influences are all there and done well enough to keep you entertained throughout its run time. Clever use of audio, another staple in horror films, is also present, making certain scenes even more fun if you have a decent surround sound system.
If you’re a horror fan looking for something to watch, check out Abigail.
Hijack Season 2
Words by Harry McKerrell
The second season of twisty-turny Idris Elba vehicle Hijack is a load of enjoyable nonsense, but its prestige production values and recruitment of some major stars – Elba himself and Toby Jones to name but a few – demonstrate Apple TV’s growing commitment to putting the big bucks behind its ambitious streaming platform.
If you can get around Hijack’s outlandish premise, with the sophomore season trading a commandeered airliner in favour of an explosively rigged underground train on the Berlin U-Bahn, there’s a decent amount of fun to be had – and plenty of reward if you’re checking out how well your TV can handle more challenging visual fare.
Given that most of the action takes place inside a crowded underground subway carriage, you’re going to get a great indication of how your screen is handling those deep, inky blacks contrasted with the neon illuminations of exit signs, glowing walkie talkies and Idris Elba’s pristine white gnashers. Oh Idris, you’re a dreamboat!
Speaking of boats, maybe that’s where they’ll set season three…
Stream Hijack Season 2 on Apple TV
Transformers One
Words by Joe Svetlik
Now, before you skip this entry, let me explain. Yes, this is a kid’s film, and yes, Michael Bay – of the moronic live-action Transformers films – is involved. But this origin story succeeds where the live-action franchise fell short – it appeals to fans new and old alike.
There is still plenty of action, the race early on in proceedings proving a real test of your TV’s motion handling. (My ageing set failed, miserably.) But it takes a more cerebral approach, with the focus very much on character development and how Optimus Prime and Megatron became who they are.
The cast is first-rate: Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm… but special mention must go to Brian Tyree Henry for his turn as a particularly bitter and twisted D-16.
The action is handled with a light touch by director Josh Cooley (who also helmed the Oscar-winning Toy Story 4), and the humour is a lot less frat boy than the live-action Transformers flicks. Well worth a watch, especially if you grew up loving the toys.
Buy Transformers One on 4K Blu-ray at HMV
Stream Transformers One on Apple TV
MORE:
These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos system
Check out the best projectors
And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
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